"Jabba himself is a thinly veiled stereotype of a Middle Eastern sultan, from his hookah pipe to his harem of slave girls. In particular, Jabba and his palace denizens most closely resemble the powerful Ottoman Empire that threatened Europe over many years," she wrote.

"In medieval culture, torture often expressed male dominance over women. For example, a man might force a medieval heroine to watch her male lover undergoing torture. We see this exact thing in The Empire StrikesBack when Darth Vader forces Leia to watch Han Solo get frozen in carbonite," wrote Leah Byrnes and Alex Rickert.

"The lustful behavior Jabba shows towards Leia reflects the tone in which Joan of Arc's enemies sometimes addressed and demeaned her. Like Leia, Joan also cross-dressed in male armor to gain access to spaces where she might not else be able to go."

We can't wait to see how many awesome essays the latest Star Wars movie will inspire.